With advances in flat panel technology and price reduction of flat panel displays, conventional Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) displays have been almost completely replaced by flat panel displays. Users typically favor flat panel displays, such as plasma and LCD displays, over CRT displays because flat panel displays are less heavy and take up less space in comparison to CRT displays. Thus, flat panel monitors have replaced CRT monitors for desktop computers and flat panel televisions have replaced CRT televisions.
As flat panel display became ubiquitous, the prices of flat panel displays have dropped considerably. As a result, flat panel displays are now used to visually transmit information to the public in both indoor and outdoor environments, replacing signs, billboards and other static displays. The information displayed on these flat panel “signage” displays may include visual advertisements, visual public announcements and other visual information, which may be pertinent or related to the surrounding environment of the flat panel “signage” displays. As an example, a flat panel “signage” display located in front of an exhibit in a museum may play a video or a multimedia presentation describing that exhibit.
A disadvantage of the flat panel “signage” displays is that typically no audio is provided with the visual information displayed on the flat panel “signage” displays. Even when audio is provided through one or more speakers of a flat panel “signage” display, noise from the surrounding environment may interfere with the audio from the flat panel “signage” display.
Therefore, there is a need for a system and method to provide accompanying audio to visual information displayed on a flat panel “signage” displays to one or more viewers.